Infant&#39;s foldable play pen



w.v H. SIMMONS, JR 2,479,273

INFANTS FOLDABLE `PLAY PEN 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ug, R6, 1949.,

Filed Deo. 2, 1947 Aug 16, 1949 w. H. SIMMONS, JR 2,479,273

I INFANTS FOLDABLE PLAY PEN l Filed Dec. 2; 1947 f s sheets-sheet 2 @@QQ? Y.

of.: @Houma/146 ug. 16, 1949. w. H. slMMoNs, JR 2,479,273

INFANTS FOLDABLE PLAY BEN Filed Deo. 2, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 16, 1949 AINFANTS FOLDABLE PLAY PEN rWalter H. Simmons, Jr., Jackson, Miss., assignor to Ruth W. Simmons, Jackson, Miss.

' velpplieatiem December 2, 1947, serial No. '189,163

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to infants play pens, `and particularlyto that type of pen which is foldable or collapsible so that it may be readily stored when not in use. f e

The invention has forits primary object the provision of an improved-play pen having a sectional bottom and hingedly connected sides, and conveniently foldable into compact relationship.

Minor aims and objects of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specication, illustrating and describing a preferred form of the invention. Y

In the drawings Fig. V1 is a top plan view of an infants play pen embodying the invention and shown in open position ready for use;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan` view of a portion of the bottom section and one of the sides;

Fig. .3 isI a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the pen as taken-on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

, Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of Ythe bottom of the pen as taken on the line 4-4` of Fig. 3;. t Fig. 5 is a top plan or collapsed position;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective viewoi a fragmentary portion of a bottom rail of a side, illustrating a bottom supporting bracket thereon; andl Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the manner of folding the sides ofY the llen from the open position shown in Fig. 1 to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 5. l. v

Referring to theA drawings, the preferred form of play yard or play pen is of elongated rectangular shape havingpreferably a length of about twice the width. The opposed longer sides may be of equal length, the front side II) including an upright spacing panel or section II and side panels or sections I2. hingedly connected to the opposite vertical edges thereof by means of hinges I3, and arranged to fold-inwardlywith respect thereto. The opposite or rear panel I4 is composed of a pair'of side sections I5 hingedly connected along their adjoining vertical edges by means of double hinges I6. These double hinges have straps I'I secured to the respective panels I5, as by screws, and each strap is connected to a centerpiece I8 by a hinge pin I9 so that the hinge breaks in spaced centers. Preferably, the rear panels or sections I are of greater length than the front panels I2.

The end panels 20 of the pen overlie the ends view of the pen in yfolded n (Cl. 5-99) of the front-and rear side panels I2 and I5, and are hingedly connected to the front panel I2 along adjoining inner facesby a hinge 2| so as to fold inwardly with respect thereto. The

end panels 20 are hingedly connected to the rear side panels I5 along adjoining outer faces by hinges 22 so as to fold outwardly with respect thereto. Preferably, the end panels or sections 20 are of slightly greater length than the front panels I2 and of slightly less length than the rear panels I5. f

The movable side and end panels or` sections I2, I5 and 20 may be of any suitable construction. Preferably, they may consist of upper and lower rails 23 and 24, respectively, connected by spaced dowels 25 so as to `provide an open panelvor section. The lower rails `conveniently may be provided Withrcasters 26 to facilitate` moving the sections I2, I5 and 20 relatively to each other and to the spacer-sections II when it is desired to fold the pen, or to move the pen as a whole about the room to a convenient location.

The pen advantageouslyincludes a bottom or oor structure which preferably comprises sec-z tions 28 'hingedly'` connected, as at 29, =to the bottomrails 124,;of one ofthe side sections I5. The opposite sides of the bottom sections v28 rest upon and are supported by supporting brackets 30 extending inwardly from the bottom rails 24 of the side I2 (see Figs. 1 and 6), which brackets are apertured asat3l tov receive pegs or pins 32 on thefioorto lock the floor in place andprevent accidental displacement of the sides I5 laterally away from the sides I2. A `The meeting edges of the floor` sections 28 is advantageously on the transverse median line of the pen, as shown in Fig. 1, and preferably the opposed` endsof the meeting edge ,of the iioor sections arenotched as at 33 (Figs. 1 and 2) to receive the Llpins I9 of the double hinge I6 connecting the sections I5 when the panels .or sections are in their. foldedV or collapsed position as shown in Fig. 5., This permits the floor sections 28 to be foldedupwardly substantially iiush with the inner face of their respectiveside sections i 5 as shown in liig.l 5.

The pen may be readily folded from its open operative position, shown in Fig. 1, to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 5, by first folding the floor sections 28 upwardly against the side sections I5. This releases the pins 32 from the apertures 3| in the brackets 30 and permits the side sections to be moved laterally away from the side sections I2.

The side sections I5 may then be moved outwardly away from the side sections I2, so as to present a substantially triangular frame as sho-wn in dash lines in Fig. '7, wherein the side sections l5 are in alignment with the end sections 29. The hinged connections 22, between the side and end sections l5 and 20, may then be moved inwardly toward the spacer panel l l to substantially the dotted line position shown in Fig. '7. Thereafter the side sections l2 may be lswung about their hinges I3 to embrace the end sections and move the several hinged panel sections into nested relation disposed substantially normal to the spacing panel and substantially between the side edges thereof as shown in Fig. 5.

From the above it will be seen that the play pen is of simple construction, readily foldaiole to collapsed form, as shown in Fig. 5, for convenient storage.

When it is desired to open the pen for use, the

side sections l2 are swung outwardly about the hinged connections i3, from the position shown in Fig. 5, to a position approximating that shown in dotted lines inFig. 7., and thus all side and end sections may be moved to the rectangular open position shown in Fig. l.

Although I have illustrated and disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not in. tend to be restricted thereto as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An infants collapsible play pen comprising a spacing section, inwardly folding side vsections hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said spacing section, inwardly folding vend'sections hingedly connected to the side edges of said side sections remote from said spacing panel, outwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to the side edges of the end sections remote from the rst named side sections, and an inwardly folding hinged connection connecting the second named side sections.

2. An infants collapsible'play pen comprising a spacing section, inwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said spacing section, inwardly folding end sections of slightly Igreater length than the side sections hingedly connected to the side edges of said side sections remote from said spacing panel, out wardly folding side sections hingedly connected to the side edges of the end sections remote from the rst named side sections and an inwardly folding hinged connection connecting the second named side sections. 'i v 3. An infants collapsible play pen comprising a spacing section, inwardly foldingv side sections hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said spacing section, inwardly folding end sections hingedly connected to the side edges of said side sections remote from said spacing panel, outwardly folding side sections of greater length than the first named side sections hingedly connected to theside edges of the end sections remote from the first named side sections, and an inwardly folding hinged connectionvconnecting the second named side section.

4. An infants collapsible play pen comprising a spacing section, inwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said spacing section, inwardly folding end sections of slightly greater length than the side sections hingedly connected to the edges of said side sections remote from said spacing panel, outwardly folding side sections of greater length than the first named side sections hingedly connected to the side edges of the end sections remote from the iirst named side sections, and an inwardly folding hinged connection connecting the second named side sections.

5. Aninfants collapsible play pen comprising a spacing section, side sections hingedly connected to the side edges of said spacing section, end sections hingedly connected to said side sections along an edge opposite said spacing panel, and a secondv set of hingedly connected side sections hingedly connected along their side edges to said end sections, and flooring sections hingedly connected to the sections of one of said sides and adapted to be folded thereagainst when the pen is in `collapsed position.

6. An infants collapsible play pen comprising a spacing section, inwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said spacing section,v inwardly folding end sections hingedly connected to the side edges of said side sections remote from said spacing panel, outwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to the side edges of the end sections remote from the first named side sections, an inwardly folding hinged connection connecting the second named side sections, and floor sections hingedly connected to the secondV named side sections and adapted to be folded thereagainst when the pen is in collapsed position.

7. An infants collapsible play pen comprising a spacing section, inwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to opposed side edges of said spacing section, inwardly folding end sections hingedly connected to the side edges of said side sections remote fromV said spacing panel, outwardly folding side sections hingedly connected to the side Iedges of the end sections remote from the first named side sections, an inwardly foldingv REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Niunber Name Date 1,198,475 OGorman Sept. .19, 1916 2,135,517 Isbell Nov. 8, 1938 

